The Wandering Jew — Complete eBook

The noise approached, and a voice was heard exclaiming,
not far from the doer: “Good heavens! what
a smell of fire!”

And, at the same instant, the door was violently shaken,
and another voice exclaimed: “Open! open!”

“They will come in—­they will save
me—­and my sister is dead—­Oh,
no! I will not have the baseness to survive her!”

Such was the last thought of Cephyse. Using what
little strength she had left, she ran to the window
and opened it—­and, at the same instant that
the half-broken door yielded to a vigorous effort from
without, the unfortunate creature precipitated herself
from that third story into the court below. Just
then, Adrienne and Agricola appeared on the threshold
of the chamber. In spite of the stifling odor
of the charcoal, Mdlle. de Cardoville rushed into
the garret, and, seeing the stove, she exclaimed,
“The unhappy girl has killed herself!”

“No, she has thrown herself from the window,”
cried Agricola: for, at the moment of breaking
open the door, he had seen a human form disappear in
that direction, and he now ran to the window.

“Oh! this is frightful!” he exclaimed,
with a cry of horror, as he put his hand before his
eyes, and returned pale and terrified to Mdlle. de
Cardoville.

But, misunderstanding the cause of his terror, Adrienne,
who had just perceived Mother Bunch through the darkness,
hastened to answer: “No! she is here.”

And she pointed to the pale form stretched on the
mattress, beside which Adrienne now threw herself
on her knees. Grasping the hands of the poor
sempstress, she found them as cold as ice. Laying
her hand on her heart, she could not feel it beat.
Yet, in a few seconds, as the fresh air rushed into
the room from the door and window, Adrienne thought
she remarked an almost imperceptible pulsation, and
she exclaimed: “Her heart beats! Run
quickly for help! Luckily, I have my smelling
bottle.”

“Yes, yes! help for her—­and for the
other too, if it is yet time!” cried the smith
in despair, as he rushed down the stairs, leaving Mdlle.
de Cardoville still kneeling by the side of the mattress.